Seal



April 10, 1934. L. M. ARSENAULT ET AL SEAL Filed April 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 10, 1934. L. M. ARSENAULT ET AL 1,954,342

SEAL

Filed April 19, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 10, 1934 UNITED STATES r 1,954,342 PATENT OFFICE SEAL Canada Application April 19, 1932, Serial No. 606,266

7 Claims.

This invention relates to seals, particularly to those of the type used for the sealing of freight car doors, and the primary object of the inven tion is to provide a device of this type which cannot be opened without visibly mutilating or destroying it.

The seal now most generally used for the sealing Of freight car doors, is known as the Tyden seal and consists essentially of two split rings held in open position on a guideway formed on one end of a strip of metal and covered by a housing. Upon the insertion of the other end of the metal strip into the housing the rings are caused to close through an opening in this other end and retain it in the housing, which consists merely of two cup-shaped members having slots through which the metal strip passes. One of the members has a single flange and the other has a double flange on its edge, so that the two members may engage with one another and the double flange of one be then pinched overthe single flange of the other to hold the two in firm engagement.

In spite of its wide adoption by railway companies, it is possible to open a Tyden seal and close it again without this fact being subsequently observable and the applicants have demonstrated this to the satisfaction of ofiicials of both the largest railway companies in Canada. The possibility of opening the .Tyden seal without destroying or visibly mutilating it obviously makes it entirely useless for its intended purpose.

The essential. feature of the seal according to this invention is that the housing is locked in closed position by the engagement within it of the locking members of the device.

An advantage of the device disclosed is that in addition to having the feature of the locked housing, which any absolutely theft proof seal must have, it may, in some of its forms, be made up from one piece of material. This integrality of the device is not, however, absolutely essential to its proper functioning.

According to the invention, the device comprises a housing and two locking members adapted for locking engagement within this housing. One of the locking members is situated within the housing and the other is situated outside it, in the open position of the device. The housing is so constructed that when the outside locking member enters it and makes locking engagement with the inside locking member, the housing is thereby lockedin closed position and since the outside locking member cannot be withdrawn without opening the housing and the housing cannot be opened unless the outside locking member is withdrawn, the device cannot be unlocked without being visibly mutilated or destroyed. The locking members may take various forms but generally a female locking member is used outside the housing and a male looking member inside the housing. In a number of cases, however, complementary hook-sl1aped locking members may be used, one inside and one outside the housmg.

Various modifications of the invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan View of the blank for the preferred form of our device,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the preferred form of device when made up and in set position,

Figure 3 is a similar view of the same device in locked position,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the device ready to be locked,

.Figure 5 is a plan view of a blank for a modified form of our device,

Figure6 is a longitudinal section of this modifled form of device in open position,

Figure 7 is a plan view of another modified form of blank.

' Figure 8 is a plan view of a blank for still another modification of the device, and

Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of the device made up from the blank of Figure 8, in a position ready to be locked.

The blank shown in Figure 1 of the drawings comprises a central portion A and'tongue carrying portions B and C connected to the portion A at each of two opposite sides thereof. Scoring lines 1 and 2 along the connections between the portions B and C respectively and the portion A, and scoring lines 3 and 4 intersecting the lines 1 and 2 at their ends and extending parallel to one another through all three portions define parts 5, d and '7 in the portion A which will form the back and side flaps respectively of the device when made up, parts 8, 9 and 10 in the portion B which will form the top and sides respectively of the made up device, and parts 11, 12 and 13 in the portion C which will form the bottom and sides respectively of the made up device. It will be seen that the device when made up will have double side walls.

Extending from the opposite side of the tongue carrying portion B to that side at which this portion is connected to the central portion A is a tongue 14 provided with lateral slots 15 and 16 width as the portions 8, 5 and 11.

and a longitudinal slot 17 between these lateral slots, and extending in a similar way from the tongue carrying portion C is a tongue 18 provided with a lateral slot 19.

On both sides of both tongues 14 and 18 are tabs 20 connected to the portions from which these tongues respectively extend and forming the front walls of the made up device. Each tab is slotted as at 21 from its base to a short distance from its outer end and a scoring line 22 intersecting each slot at its outer end defines a flap 23 on each tab which is folded over the side of the housing when the device is made up.

It will be noted that the portion C is wider on both sides than the portion 13 to provide flaps 24 defined by scoring lines 25. As shown in Figure 4 these flaps fold over the top 8 of the housing to avoid having sharp edges on its sides.

When the device is made up as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the portions 11, 5 and 8 form the bottom, back and top of the housing respectively. The tongue 14 connected to the top 8 is bent to form a guiding support, indicated generally by 26, and spacing members 27 and 28 for this support.

The support 26 has a wall 29 extending inwardly from the member 27, a loop portion 30 and a wall 31 extending parallel and close to the wall 29 and joining the member 28. The walls 29 and 31 together serve to define a passageway 32 and in these walls are the openings 15 and 16 of the tongue in registry with one another. The loop portion 30 of the support is split longitudinally over almost its entire length by the slot 1'7. This split loop and the walls 29 and 31 together serve to guide and support a locking member 33, which is preferably made up of two concentric bands 34 and of resilient material, these bands being split and having their split ends resting on the walls 29 and 31 and thus held apart in the unlocked position of the device.

When the device is to be locked, the outer locking member or tongue 18 is caused to enter the housing through the slots 21 in the tabs or front walls 20 and through the passageway 32. The end of the tongue 18 then comes in contact, at the inner end of the passageway, with the bands of the locking member 33 and forces them inward till their split ends register with the openings 15 and 16 in the walls 29 and 31 respectively. The slot 19 in the tongue 18 is so positioned that at this moment it is in registry with the openings 15 and 16 and the ends of the rings 34 and 35 can therefore spring together and securely lock the tongue 18 in the housing, as shown in Figure 3.

From a consideration of the description of the blank given above and of Figure 4 of the drawings showing the device in made up position ready to be locked, it will be seen that the tongue 18 in entering the housing holds the latter in closed position since it extends through all four slots 21 of all four tabs 20. Thus, when the outer locking member 18 enters into locking engagement with the inner locking member 33 within the housing, the latter, by the very fact of this locking engagement, is itself locked in closed position.

In Figure 5, a blank for making up a modified form of device is illustrated. All the parts of this blank except the tongues are identical with the corresponding parts of the blank in Figure l and will therefore be referred to by the same reference numerals. The tongue 36 extending from the tongue carrying portion B in Figure 5 is, over most of its length, of the same At its end,

however, it is cut away to form a considerably narrower part 36 terminating in shoulders 37. The tongue 38 extending from the tongue carrying portion C in Figure 5 is similar to the tongue 18 of Figure 1 but its opening 39 has a somewhat diiferent shape from that of the opening 19.

Figure 6 shows the open position of the device made up from the blank of Figure 5. It will be seen that the tongue 36, of the blank, has been bent to form, within the housing, an enclosure 40, spacing members 41 and 42 for the enclosure and a lockingmember 43 situated within the enclosure.

Members 44 and 45 extending inward close to and parallel to one another, from the spacing members 41 and 42 respectively, form the walls of a passageway 46 in the enclosure 40 leading to that part of it containing the locking member 43, this part of the enclosure being bounded by the walls 47, 48, 49, 50 and .51. Extending alongside of the member 42 is an extension 52 which is continued by an inner wall 53 for the passageway 46, running alongside the member 45. This wall 53 narrows in a direction transverse to the housing at a point near the inner end of the passageway and the hook-shaped locking member is formed from the narrow part 36a of the tongue.

When it is desired to lock the device shown in Figure 6, the outer locking member or tongue 38 is caused to enter the housing through the slots ii 21 in the tabs 20 and the enclosure 40 through the passageway 46. When the end of the tongue 38 contacts with the upper part of the locking member 43, it will be forced slightly upwards and the locking member will be forced slightly downis securely locked within the housing since it cannot be disengaged from the hook-shaped locking member and cannot be pulled outwards by reason of its engagement with the shoulders at the wider portion of the inner wall 53.

It is not essential to, the proper functioning l of the device that the exact form of enclosure shown in Figure 6 be used, although this form has, on the basis of various experiments made, proved to be the most suitable.

The blank shown in Figure 7 illustrates a number of modifications of the invention, any or all of which may be'us ed. The chief of these modifications, which have been illustrated in connection with a blank for. the device of Figure 6 but are equally applicable to that for the device of '3 Figure 1, is that the blank of Figure '7 has only two tabs 54 and 55 instead of four tabs, these tabs being positioned symmetrically with respect to one another about the centre of the blank. It

will be realized that the tabs must be so placed since if both were on the same side of their respective tongues or if both were on one tongue carrying portion the housing would not be locked upon engagement of the locking members within it. A device in which the housing has only two all four tabs and completely eliminate even a very slight danger of unauthorized opening, since with two tabs it might be possible to pry out the unattached inner side walls, bend up the outer side wall and reach the locked members, though all of this would be almost impossible with a device constructed of comparatively hard metal.

Another modification disclosed in this figure is the elimination of the side flaps 6 and '7 and still a further one is the elimination of the flaps 23 on the tongue carrying portion C.

The tabs 54 and 55 as shown in Figure 7 are shorter than the tabs 20 in having no flaps corresponding to the flaps 23 and being of the same length as the width of the made up housing. In consequence of the shortness of the tabs 54 and 55, their slots 56 are shorter than the slots 21 and do not extend the full width of the housing. As indicated at 57 the tongue 58 has a narrowed outer end to fit through the slots 56. By eliminating the flaps on the tabs a certain saving is made in the cost of manufacture of the device but it is usually found preferable to have the flaps as theyhelp to hold the parts of the housing in their correct relation to one another before the device is looked.

The modified form of blank shown in Figure 3 comprises a main portion .59 of rectangular shape, this portion being scored along the lines 60, 61, 62 and 63 to allow it to be folded to form a hous inghaving a cover of double thickness. Projecting from one end of one side of the portion 59 is a tab 64 having an opening 65 therein and H n projecting from the other end of the same side is 35 1 a corresponding tab 66 having a corresponding opening 6'7 therein, these tabs being adapted to overlie one another with their openings in registry when the portion 59 is folded up to form a housing. Extending from the centre of the same side of the portion 59 as that from which the tabs 64 and 66 extend is a tongue 68 having scored lines 69 and 70 on which it may be bent to form the outside locking member of the made up device. Extending from the centre of the opposite N side of the portion 59 to that from which the tongue 68 extends is a tongue '71, this tongue being provided with scored lines '72 and '73 on which it may be bent to form the inside locking member for the made up device.

As shown in the drawings, the portion 59 may also have tabs '74 and '75 extending from opposite ends of the side from which the tongue '71 extends, the tongue '74 being scored as at '76 to permit it to fold the tab '75 in the made up device, as shown in Figure 9. When the device is made up from the blank shown in Figure 8, the locking members are complementary to one another and each includes at least one portion bent to extend in a direction substantially opposite to that of its main part and preferably a portion bent to extend in substantially the same direction as its main part. Each locking member is thus in the form of a hook which is preferably double. In Figure 9 the outside looking member 68, when in normal position, comprises a portion '77 bent to extend in a direction substantially opposite to that of its main part and a portion '78 bent to extend in substantially the same direction as this main part. In the same manner the locking member '71 inside the housing comprises a portion '79 bent to extend in a direction substantially opposite to that of its main part and a portion bent to extend in substantially the same direction as this main part.

When it is desired to lock the device shown in Figure' Q, the outside locking member is caused to enter the housing through the openings 65 and 67 in the front tabs 64 and 66. Upon entering the housing the portion '7'7 of the outside locking member will engage with the portion '79 of the inside locking member and since the device is made up of a material having a certain resilience these two parts will be forced downwardly and upwardly respectively and the outside looking member may be pushed into the housing up to a point where the portions '77 and '79 no longer engage with one another and through their resilience spring respectively upward and downward. When this happens a small click may be heard and the outer tongue may be pulled. This will cause the portion '78 of the outside looking member to engage with the portion 80 of the inside member which is forced downwardiy to a sufficient degree to allow the double thickness of the portions '77 and '78 to pass between it and the main part of the member. When the outside tongue has been sufficiently pulled the portions '78 and 80 will come out of engagement with one another and spring respectively downward and upward. This action will be accompanied by a slight click which will be the signal to push inward the outer tongue until resistance is encountered. The two members will then be in looking engagement with one another within the housmg.

It will be understood that it is not essential to the satisfactory functioning of our seal that it be made up from one piece of material. If it were desired the housing could be made separately from the tongues and each of the tongues could be made separately from the other. If the various parts were then inseparably attached to one another the device would function in the same way as described above. Moreover, in the preferred form of the device, the rings as used in the Tyden seal could if desired replace the concentric bands shown.

Other changes might be made in the structure of the seal without departing from the spirit or scope of our invention which will now be defined in the appended claims.

We claim:-

1. A seal comprising a housing, a locking member normally situated outside said housing and a locking member inside said housing, said outside looking member being adapted to enter said housing and make locking engagement with said inside locking member, said housing having top, bottom, back, front and side walls, said back wall being connected to only two other walls, and each outside side wall being connected to a member having an opening therein through which said outside looking member passes when looking engagement between it and said inside locking member is effected.

2. A seal comprising a housing, a locking member normally situated outside said housing and a locking member inside said housing, said outside looking member being adapted to enter said housing and make locking engagement with said inside locking member, said housing having top, bottom, back, front and side walls, said back wall being connected to only two other walls, and each outside top, bottom and side wall being connected along at least two adjacent sides thereof to other walls of said housing.

3. A seal comprising a housing, a locking member normally situated outside said housing and a locking member inside said housing, said outside locking member being adapted to enter said tween it and said inside locking member housing and make locking engagement with said inside locking member, said housing having top, bottom, back, front and side walls, certain of said walls having openings therein through which said outside locking member passes when looking engagement between it and said inside locking member is efiected, said back wall being connected to only two other walls, and each outside top, bottom and side wall being connected along at least two adjacent sides thereof to other walls of said housing.

4. A seal compris ng a. housing, a locking member normally situated outside said housing and a locking member inside said housing, said outside locking member being adapted to enter said housing and make locking engagement with said in? side locking member, said housing having top, bottom, back, front and side walls, the back wall being connected to only two other walls, and each outside wall of said housing except the back wall, connected along less than two adjacent sides to other parts of the seal, being provided with an opening therein through which said outside looking member passes when locking engagement beis effected.

5. A seal comprising a housing, an enclosure Within said housing, said enclosure having bottom and top walls unconnected along their sides to the walls of the housing, and an inside locking member within said enclosure, a locking member normally situated outside said housing, said outside locking member being adapted to enter said housing and make locking engagement with said inside locking member, said housing having top,

bottom, back, front and side walls, the back wall being connected to only two other walls, and each outside wall of said housing except the back wall,

connected along less than two adjacent sides to other parts of the seal, being provided with an opening therein through which said outside looking member passes when locking engagement between it and said inside locking member is effected.

6. A seal comprising a housing having top, bottom, back, front and side Walls, a tongue connected to one of said Walls and bent to form the bottom and top of an enclosure inside said housing and a locking member inside said enclosure, a locking member normally situated outside said housing, said outside looking member being adapted to enter said housing and make locking engagement with said inside locking member, the back wall of the housing being connected to only two other walls, and each outside wall of said housing except the back wall, connected along less than two adjacent sides to other parts of the seal, being provided with an opening therein through which said outside locking member passes when looking engagement between it and said inside locking member is effected.

'7. A seal comprising a housing, a locking member normally situated outside said housing and a locking member inside said housing, said outside locking member being adapted to enter said housing and make locking engagement with said inside locking member, said housing having top, bottom, back, front and side walls, every wall of said housing except the back wall connected along less than two adjacent sides to other parts of the seal, having an opening therein through which said outside looking member passes when looking engagement between it and said inside locking member is effected.

LOUIS MAURICE ARSENAULT. ALEXANDER WALLACE HUTCHINSON. 

